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Association between vitamin D and cardiovascular health: Myth or Fact? A narrative review of the evidence.

Women's health (London, England)
January 1, 2023
Hala Ahmadieh et al. (2 authors)
Journal ArticleReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the link between vitamin D status and cardiovascular health, as well as the effects of vitamin D supplementation on preventing cardiovascular diseases.

Results Summary

Cross-sectional studies found associations between low vitamin D levels and cardiovascular conditions, but large interventional trials did not show benefits from supplementation in reducing ischemic events, heart failure, or hypertension. Some studies indicated potential benefits for insulin sensitivity and metabolic syndrome, but results were inconsistent.

Population

Elderly individuals, particularly women, and general populations with cardiovascular risk factors.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (7)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
vitamin D supplementation
no change
reducing ischemic events
-
no significant change
did not show any benefit
#1
vitamin D supplementation
no change
heart failure or its outcomes
-
no significant change
did not show any benefit
#2
vitamin D supplementation
no change
hypertension
-
no significant change
did not show any benefit
#3
vitamin D supplementation
increase
insulin sensitivity
-
-
showed beneficial effect
#4
vitamin D supplementation
decrease
metabolic syndrome
-
-
showed beneficial effect
#5
-
increase
acute coronary syndrome
-
-
found a strong association
#6
-
increase
heart failure
-
-
found a strong association
#7
Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent worldwide. Since the discovery of the expression of vitamin D receptor in ventricular cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, and blood vessels, there has been a growing body of literature assessing the link between vitamin D status and cardiovascular health from one side, and the effect of vitamin D supplementation on prevention of cardiovascular diseases from the other side. In this review, we summarized studies highlighting the role of vitamin D on cardiovascular health, namely atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart failure, and metabolic syndrome, a recognized significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Studies showed discrepancies between findings from cross-sectional and longitudinal cohorts and those from interventional trials, but also between one outcome and another. Cross-sectional studies found a strong association between low 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D3) and acute coronary syndrome, and heart failure. These findings encouraged the promotion for vitamin D supplementation as a preventive measure for cardiovascular diseases in the elderly, namely in women. This fact, however, turned out into a myth with the results of large interventional trials that did not show any benefit from vitamin D supplementation in reducing ischemic events, heart failure or its outcomes, or hypertension. Although some clinical studies showed beneficial effect of vitamin D supplementation on insulin sensitivity and metabolic syndrome, this effect was not consistent across all studies.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AgedFemaleHumansCardiovascular DiseasesCross-Sectional StudiesMetabolic SyndromeVitamin DHeart FailureHypertension
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy30/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations5
Citations/Year2.5
Relative Citation Ratio1.58
NIH Percentile66.9%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score2.58
Normalized Score0.47
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